Carmarthen
|- | align=center colspan=2 | Motto: Chynnydd, Chryfder, a Hundeb (Welsh) "Progress, Strength, and Unity" |- | align=center colspan=2 width=10px style="background:#f9f9f9" text-align:center | Location of Carmarthen (green) |- |'Capital' || Carmarthen, Wales |- |'Largest City' || London, England |- |'Official Languages' || Welsh, English |- |'Demonym' || Carmarthenite |- |'Government' • Monarch • Prime Minister • Crown Prince • Second Crown Prince | Constitutional Monarchy King Terje II Aidenffedd Nolan Whitehouse Prince Ieuan Aidenffedd Prince Corwin Aidenffedd |- |'Established' • Formation of Kingdom • Creation of Constitution | ~796 July 24, 1788 |- |'Currency' || 1 Pound (£) = $1.52 |- |} The Kingdom of Carmarthen, known colloquially as Carmarthen, is a kingdom located in the British Isles including territory in the Frankish side of the English Channel. It is a constitutional monarchy with a democratically elected Parliament representing the legislative aspect of the government, while the Carmarthenite Monarchy acts as the executive aspect. Its two official languages are Welsh and English, with 92.9% of citizens considered fluent in both. 78% of Carmarthenites are of Celtic descent, 19% French, and 3% Dutch. Approximately 80% of citizens are members in the Welsh Christian Church, while 18% are affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church. Early History Following the Roman withdrawal from Britain, the area formerly controlled and administered by Roman forces quickly fell into chaos. The area of present-day Carmarthen came under control of one of the strongest of the regional tribes, the Demetae, which established the Kingdom of Demetia in the area in the early 7th century. Intense conflict between the other local tribes and Demetia over land holdings devastated the land and the inhabitants, causing many affected citizens to flee from Demetia over a period of approximately 100 years. According to legend, several smaller tribes emigrated to Ireland and were able to unite while intermarrying with native Irish population there. This coalition is known in the legends as the Cruithne, known to be a pre-Gaelic conjugate of the ancient Greek term "Pryteni," which is a derivative of the Latin "Britannia" in reference to the British Isles. Archaeological finds in southeastern Ireland from this time period show records of a proto-Celtic people group known in ancient Irish Celtic as the "Prydyn," which is a contemporary umbrella term referring to a denomination of tribes of external origin from this time period. These finds have shown strongly that the Cruithne Prydyn of southern Ireland were directly related to the Prydyn of northern Ireland and present-day Scotland, which were known throughout Britannia as the Picts, indicating that the two groups were branches of the same tribe. In the early 8th century, a wave of foreign invaders swept through the areas of Demetia, shown by evident destruction in the strata of this time period as well as by surviving records from an ancient Roman monastery. The records are scare, but tell of a people coming from the sea to the west and overwhelming Demetia and the surrounding smaller kingdoms. Legend attributes the invasion to the Cruithne, united under the leadership of one known as Aiden Fedd-Olach, who saw fit to return to their native lands to destroy the tyrant Demetae and liberate the remaining people there. Surviving contemporary records indicate that a warlord known as Iddne Vethla was responsible for the destruction of the local Welsh kingdoms and negotiated the surrenders of their respective monarchs. Fedd-Olach apparently set up an administrative capital at Carmarthen (then known as Caer Fyrddin) for the loose federation of Cruinthe tribes. Establishment of the Kingdom It was not until 796 that the Kingdom of Carmarthen is first mentioned, in a document discovered in an abandoned monastery near Llanelli entitled "The Writ of Kingship." In it, the leaders of several groups of native tribes, including the Cruinthe, announced the need of a centralized body of government for the tribal federation to defend the territory from Norse invaders that were encroaching into the area. The representatives declared the existence of a Kingdom of Carmarthen, ruled by a monarch deemed to be divinely gifted in the art of administration and warfare. The Writ notes that lots were cast to allow the Christian God to determine who the inaugural king should be, and the lot fell on Kieran Aiden-Fedd, eldest son of Aiden Fedd-Olach and patriarch of the Cruinthe tribe. He was ordained King Kieran Aidenffedd by the Bishop of Carmarthen on April 24, 796, creating the family name Aidenfedd to be held by all members of the royal family for future generations. Early Kingdom King Kieran began his kingdom by dividing Carmarthen into administrative districts headed by royal governors. He also ordered the raising of a standing army for the purpose of border defense against Viking raiders. Internally, the organization of the kingdom yielded a long period of prosperity and cultural advances well after Kieran's reign ended. Externally, Carmarthen's display of force in the Viking Wars led to several nearby smaller kingdoms soliciting Carmarthen for protection, and by the 11th century Carmarthen encompassed all of present-day Wales and Cornwall. Kieran the Great's rule became the golden standard for all later kings to follow. Late Middle Ages Territorial expansions via annexation throughout the Early Kingdom period meant that by the time of King Phillip II in 1294, Carmarthen was a power broker in the British Isles. The Late Middle Ages in Carmarthen was characterized by decreased economic potency, until 1516 when the Unification of the Kingdoms was signed between King Ronald I and multiple Irish monarchs, expanding Carmarthen to cover all of Ireland. This event triggered significant internal growth as well as reforms in the government for the next 200 years. Constitutional Period It was in 1788 that the fervor of democracy sweeping across Europe led King Olach to initiate reforms for the creation of a national constitution. By this time, municipal and provincial leadership positions were already being decided by popular vote of free men, with women's suffrage being instituted in the mid 19th century. King Olach summoned the governors of the twenty provinces to gather in Dublin to create a codified system of laws and rights for all citizens. The King and the governors signed the constitution into law on July 24, 1788. Because the Constitution of Carmarthen mandated the creation of a bicameral Parliament of freely elected officials, nation-wide elections were organized and held later the same year on October 21, bringing the First Carmarthenite Parliament into being. Women were granted suffrage in 1856 following a several-year civil rights movement. It was in this same period that multiple land annexations took place, bringing Carmarthenite territory into southern Scotland and all of England in 1844 and 1861, respectively, during the rule of Howell II Aidenfedd, who was ordained on September 9, 1833. Modern Carmarthen The constancy of the rule of the Aidenfedd Dynasty over the years as well as the fortitude of the Constitution has allowed Carmarthen to grow domestically into a land of commerce, individuality, and industry. The growth of the educational system as well as the foundation of a great many public universities has allowed for great advances in technology, economy, and culture. Public works projects have also increased, yielding vast improvements in infrastructure over the past 50 years. In terms of the monarchy, the year 1933 was a turning point for the Aidenfedd Dynasty after signing the Antwerp Unity Accords, which allowed Carmarthen to absorb the Grand Duchy of Flanders and Holland into the kingdom. The King at the time, Kain Aidenfedd, was ordained in a ceremony in Amsterdam to officially take up the secondary title of Grand Duke of Flanders and Holland, in addition to his normal title of King of Carmarthen. The modern age in Carmarthen has been characterized by increased activity in Foreign Affairs, and it was in March 2008 that Carmarthen departed from its existence-long policy of diplomatic isolation and joined the Viridian Entente alliance in order to achieve greater cooperation abroad as well as defense against foreign powers. Government In Carmarthen, the head of state is the Carmarthenite Monarch, who assumes supreme executive power within the country. It is the Monarch's responsibility to ensure that the laws of Parliament and the decisions of the High Court are observed throughout the nation. The Carmarthenite Monarch can either be a king or queen, however in the more than 1200 years of continuous existence, Carmarthen has never had a queen as the head of state. The Parliament is the crux of legislative power in Carmarthen. Parliament is divided between two houses; the College, consisting of proportionally-seated Collegians from each of Carmarthen's 30 administrative districts, and the Vicarage, consisting 60 Vicars fixed at two per each administrative district. Collegians and Vicars, elected by public vote in four-year cycles, are responsible for creating and maintaining legislation for the continued function of the state. The judicial branch is manifested in the form of the High Court of Carmarthen, which has the power to decide the constitutionality of decisions of the Monarch or actions of the Parliament. Carmarthen's government is curious in the fact that, by law, no elected or appointed public official may be a member of a political party. The Constitution renders all political parties to be "of great danger to the function of the State, and the epitomes of stagnation of philosophical thought," and thus forbids public officials from being openly affiliated with any such party. Parties still exist within Carmarthen itself, but their function is significantly different than the party systems elsewhere. Parties have no "member representatives" in Parliament as in other countries, but parties or groups of parties often account for a part of a Collegian's or Vicar's constituency. Collegians and Vicars are free to act in whatever form of political philosophy they deem fit, with no fear of repercussions from a political organization. The constituency, on the other hand, can freely elect or retract their respective Collegian or Vicar based on their agreement or disagreement with their representatives' actions. People Geography Carmarthen's primary climate characteristic is temperate, moderated by prevailing southwest winds over the North Atlantic Current. More than one-half of the days are overcast. The terrain consists of mostly rugged hills and low mountains in Britannia with marshlands in the territory in Continental Europe. Carmarthen's primary natural resources are fish, sheep and goats, coal, and arable land, while its primary natural hazards are earthquakes, volcanic activity, windstorms, and floods. Economy Currently the unemployment rate in Carmarthen stands at 4.9%. Carmarthen has a wide variety of native industries and exports, including machine tools, electric power equipment, railroad equipment, shipbuilding, electronics and communications equipment, metals, coal, petroleum, paper and paper products, textiles, clothing, and other consumer goods. Military Carmarthen's military consists of four different branches: Army, Royal Navy, Royal Air Corps, and Royal Territorial Reserve. Carmarthen's military service ages are 18-44, with voluntary service for all members. War of the Coalition The first (and as of yet only) major foreign war that Carmarthen has participated in was the War of the Coalition in August 2008. Carmarthenite forces came to the aid of allies in the Viridian Entente on the Mushroom Kingdom front, inflicting heavy casualties and defeating its opponent in an overwhelming tactical and strategic victory. Representatives from Carmarthen were present at the ceremony on August 26, 2008 when the Mushroom Kingdom signed a peace treaty with the Viridian Entente, New Pacific Order, Molon Labe, and Echelon. Category:Nations